Final 12 months, my spouse and I visited (in knowledgeable capability) pals who at the moment lived in a high-rise condo constructing in Marrakesh. They confirmed us fairly a little bit of the town, and I in fact was looking out for birds. However there isn’t that a lot to see in city Marrakesh, and my whole checklist for that a part of our journey was 10 species, together with 4 lifers.
This 12 months, after we went again to go to them once more, they’d moved to Tameslouht, a way more conventional and smaller village a couple of half hour outdoors Marrakesh. The city has about 1/150th of the inhabitants of that metropolis, so one isn’t distant from the sting of city. And whereas, as soon as once more, birding was not the aim of this journey, I made positive to stroll the fields across the city. I used to be not dissatisfied, as this time I noticed double the species, with three extra lifers for good measure.
Many of the land round Tameslouht is rocky and naked, with scattered goat-proof small shrubs. However there are additionally olive groves, and a few native timber. The birdiest spot was the city trash dump. However there was some avian exercise wherever vegetation have been to be discovered. (Having mentioned that, the location jogged my memory within the desert, trash is everlasting. On this city, “trash dump” is barely a matter of diploma.)
Within the Marrakesh space, you might be by no means very removed from feral Rock Pigeons, Cattle Egrets, and the considerably extra unique Spotless Starlings and Widespread Bulbuls. Morocco’s iconic (and charming) Home Buntings are in fact additionally current. If you end up on a metropolis avenue, you’re prone to see a Home Sparrow. However as quickly as you stroll onto a subject or take a mud highway, the Sparrows flip Spanish.
Spotless Starlings, and a Eurasian Collared Dove
Spanish, not Home, Sparrows. Belief me. (You’ll be able to see a male Spanish Sparrow within the picture above this publish. The streaky breast proves that identification.)
This time in Morocco, I noticed a number of different species I already knew from Spain: Thekla’s Lark, Sardinian Warbler, European Stonechat, and White Stork. The Nice Grey Shrike I knew beforehand from Turkey, and the Widespread Chiffchaff, Laughing Dove, White Wagtail, and European Blackbird from a number of nations.
Thekla’s Lark — until it’s an almost-identical Crested Lark
Nice Grey Shrike
However then I obtained to fulfill some real African specialties. The Moussier’s Redstarts have been simply the showiest birds I noticed. African Chaffinches aren’t so totally different from Eurasian Chaffinches, however get additional factors for having the phrase “African” of their title.
Moussier’s Redstart
African Chaffinch
Maybe essentially the most intriguing fowl I noticed was a falcon that flew overhead in a straight line, with robust, regular wingbeats. The one picture I managed (with my Olympus journey digicam, which I’ve but to grasp) confirmed very pointed wings, and the looks of darkish beneath wings and breast, contrasting with a a lot lighter stomach. I think this may increasingly have been a Lanner Falcon. Would any consultants on the market wish to touch upon this beneath?
Not having had the mobility to journey to, say, a physique of water or a highland forest, my species whole for Morocco (26, after two journeys) continues to be not that large. However I did improve my checklist from 10 to 26 species, with only a few hours of birding. And there are positively some attention-grabbing birds to be seen, with only a transient foray outdoors of the town of Marrakesh. And whereas I wouldn’t say nature seems well-cared-for right here, one may detect surprising magnificence, like this excellent wall portray on a crumbling adobe wall in a random subject:
